NEW DELHI: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, expressing concern over repeated disruptions to commercial activities in Delhi due to political rallies, protests and demonstrations over the past month.
In its letter, CAIT conveyed the alleged anguish and resentment of the trading community across the country, stating that frequent political gatherings and demonstrations have affected business activities, particularly in major commercial areas of the national capital.
The traders' body specifically questioned the Congress rally held at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, 2026, and the continued support extended by the Congress and other political parties to demonstrations organised by various groups during the period.
CAIT raised concerns over the impact of these political activities on traders, whose businesses depend on regular customer movement, market accessibility and uninterrupted commercial operations.
The organisation's intervention comes amid growing tensions between traders' associations and political parties over the impact of demonstrations on Delhi's markets, particularly during the festive shopping season.
Earlier, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) had also written to the Delhi Police Commissioner, seeking a temporary halt to rallies and protests in the city until November 11. The organisation cited estimated business losses of ₹14,000 crore between October 1 and November 1, which it attributed to demonstrations, traffic restrictions and disruptions during the festive period.
The November 1 INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan had also drawn objections from traders, who had warned that the gathering could affect customer movement and business in nearby commercial areas.
However, Rahul Gandhi had responded to the concerns during the rally, alleging that shops in Connaught Place had been forcibly shut and appealing to participants to support local businesses by shopping in the area.
The latest letter from CAIT adds to the ongoing debate over balancing the right to political protest with the concerns of businesses affected by traffic restrictions and disruptions to public spaces.
With inputs from media reports